Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Silicon Valley. At some point I'm sure you've heard of this mysterious and comprehensive place. This region in San Francisco is home to thousands of startup companies in addition to the headquarters of thirty-nine businesses in the Fortune 1000. Originally named for the large amount of silicon chip manufacturers and microcomputers produced, Silicon Valley fosters entrepreneurial ideas and firms. It is an example of an entrepreneurial ecosystem. These areas bring together all sorts of entrepreneurs and new technology. They promote startups, incubators, and small businesses.While Silicon Valley is perhaps one of the biggest entrepreneurial systems found within the United States, I would like to discuss how St. Louis is becoming the next big entrepreneurship ecosystem.  

St. Louis is rapidly becoming the one of the top cities that fosters and promotes entrepreneurship and small business. As Karren Watkins (2014) said, "the city has cultivated some of the most eminent organizations in America including Nestle Purina, Anheuser-Busch, Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Venture capitalists are pouring millions of dollars into startup companies in St. Louis. This allows entrepreneurs to fund and expand their business.

If you were watching the Super Bowl, you might have seen the Anheuser-Busch "Born the Hard Way" commercial. It told the story of their founder coming to America from Germany and starting his brewery in St. Louis. He achieved the "American Dream" and started a successful business.
Although it isn't a recent development to St. Louis' economy, it shows that for some time now the city has welcomed young entrepreneurs.

Works Cited

Isenberg, D. (2014, November 01). What an Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Actually Is. Retrieved March 24, 2017, from https://hbr.org/2014/05/what-an-entrepreneurial-ecosystem-actually-is

Watkins, K. (2014, September 19). Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: what St. Louis can teach the nation . Retrieved March 24, 2017, from http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/entrepreneurial-ecosystems-what-st-louis-can-teach-the-nation/article_a6113c23-40c6-5db2-be0b-f9d37abf4e69.html